1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to irrigation systems and, more particularly, to controlled irrigation systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
On a global level, the concern over efficient usage of fresh water increases daily. This concern is fueled by frequent uncontrolled use of available water, which can lead to depletion and pollution of existing water reservoirs. Further exacerbating these concerns is the fact that in many regions of the world, the availability of ground water is limited.
Irrigation technology seeks to provide sufficient water resources for efficient agricultural production at high volumes. In other words, irrigation technology attempts to supply the amount of water needed for optimum crop development and production using various water management techniques involving timing of water application and measure of water usage. For example, a measure of water content within soil as determined through analysis of irrigation frequency can be used to determine when water should be applied to a given crop. Another such measure can include the analysis of symptoms of water deficiency, for instance as may be exhibited in plant life. Nevertheless, due to the high cost of installation and maintenance of water measurement and irrigation systems, suitable irrigation systems frequently go unused.
Considering only the logistics and management of water, it is possible to significantly increase the efficiency of irrigation systems through automation, thereby reducing water usage. Increases in irrigation efficiency and reduction of water usage can be particularly important for regions with adverse climate conditions. For example, in some regions rainfall is not uniform with respect to both the months in which the rainfall occurs and the distribution of the rainfall throughout the region. The efficient usage of water resources can alleviate some of these problems.
While some regions experience periods of high rainfall, the amount of rainfall, and therefore fresh water received by a region, remains an important issue, especially in light of demands placed upon water supplies by large populations, high evapotranspiration, and the loss of water through sandy soils with low water holding capacity. Urban, environmental, and recreational uses of water also compete with agricultural water usage as each seeks access to large, but limited supplies of fresh water.